FOREIGN MINISTER AVCI’S
CONTACTS IN NEW YORK…
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý who is currently in New York in
order to attend the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference)
Foreign Ministers’ Coordination Meeting within the framework
of the 62nd UN General Assembly meetings, is
continuing his contacts.
Foreign Minister Turgay Avcý within the
framework of his contacts together with Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is also in New York has
attended the public gathering held at Mariot Hotel.
During the public gathering a message was
given to Turkish people living in the USA to be in unity and
spent intensive efforts for the promotion of Turkey. Both
before and after the meeting, Foreign Minister Avcý had the
opportunity to have conversations with many Turkish and
Turkish Cypriots living in the USA.
Meanwhile, Avcý and his delegation also
came together with members of the Italian Parliament Sergio
D’elia and Matteo Mecaci at the dinner.
During the dinner which the ways of improving the current
relations between TRNC and Italy were discussed, Foreign
Minister Avcý gave information about his latest contacts in
Italy and the Greek Cypriot administration’s reactions to
his visit.
As part of his bi-lateral contacts in New
York, Foreign Minister Avcý met with the Pakistani Deputy
Foreign Minister Riaz Khan in the UN Headquarters.
During the meeting, Turgay Avcý gave
information to Riaz Khan about the Talat-Papadopoulos
meeting which took place on the 5 September and the Greek
Cypriot side’s intransigent approach on the Cyprus issue.
Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot
side gave very much importance to the relations with the OIC,
Foreign Minister Avcý thanked Pakistani officials and
President Pervez Muserref in particular, for their
hospitality and friendliness towards his delegation during
their visit to Pakistan, where Avcý attended the 34th
OIC Foreign Ministers Meeting.
For his part, Pakistani Deputy Foreign
Minister Khan gave the message that the Turkish Cypriot
people’s struggle has always been supported and appreciated,
and added that the support to this struggle will be
maintained further.
Earlier on the other hand, Foreign
Minister Avcý came together with the Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan and discussed both internal and foreign issues.
It was reported that during the meeting
TRNC Foreign Ministry’s latest openings and Turkish Cypriot
side’s relations with Syria and Italy were welcomed and
supported by Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.
Erdogan and Babacan also stressed that
they would fully support the TRNC in its foreign relations
and openings.
As part pf his contacts in New York,
Foreign Minister Avcý also met with the US Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State Matthew Bryza.
Bryza stated that Turkish Cypriots should
always be one step forward than the Greek Cypriots with
regard to the current process of the Cyprus issue.
For his part, Foreign Minister Avcý
stressing that Turkish Cypriots had always been a step
forward in all the processes regarding the Cyprus issue
until today, said Turkish Cypriots had clearly expressed
this in the referendum in April 2004, in Gambari process and
lately in 5 September meeting.
Asking Bryza to encourage those European
countries, which have close relations with the USA, for
making openings towards Turkish Cypriots, Avcý requested the
support of the USA for the lifting of the Turkish Cypriots’
isolation.
Avcý drew attention to the fact that the
Greek Cypriot side by using its EU membership was trying to
drug the Cyprus problem into a deadlock.
Foreign Minister Avcý also pointed out
that the Green Line Regulation was not implemented in full
capacity and that the Greek Cypriot administration was
continuously discouraging the tourists who cross over to
Northern Cyprus.
